Each day in November—leading up to the winter meetings—Sporting News will analyze the offseason to-do list of a major league team. Today: the San Diego Padres.

Overlooked in the San Diego Padres’ fourth-place finish this past season was their impressive second half. The team went 42-33 after the All-Star break and improved by five wins from 2011.

Not only are things trending upward on the field, the franchise’s new ownership group has expressed a willingness to increase the payroll in hopes of fielding a winner. It already has shown a commitment to manager Bud Black, exercising his 2014 and 2015 options.

OFFSEASON AGENDA

The focus will be on the rotation, which ranked 22nd in the majors this past season with a 4.44 ERA despite the benefit of cavernous Petco Park. Next season, the park won’t be quite as pitcher-friendly as the outfield walls will be both closer and lower in several places.

The team has been linked to free-agent starter Dan Haren, a California native who could rebuild his value in Petco Park—as well as silence concerns about the health of his back. Other free agents who should interest the Padres: Edwin Jackson, Kyle Lohse, Anibal Sanchez and Brandon McCarthy.

The team is going with youth at shortstop (Everth Cabrera) and second base (Logan Forsythe, Alexi Amarista), two positions that are unlikely to produce much offense, so a free-agent infielder with some pop could be added.

POSSIBLE DEPARTURES

Remember the trade speculation that surrounded third baseman Chase Headley this past July? Well, forget about that being revisited this offseason. Headley led the National League with 115 RBIs and is more likely to agree to a contract extension than be traded, especially with the new owners in place.

Already locked up are closer Huston Street and left fielder Carlos Quentin, both of whom signed extensions during the 2012 season. Both remain injury risks, however.

As for trades, setup man Luke Gregerson has some closer experience and has averaged better than a strikeout per inning during his four seasons in the majors. He would make a valuable chip.

The team’s free agents include just a handful of veteran starters who are unlikely to return as free agents (Jason Marquis, Kip Wells, Tim Stauffer, Dustin Moseley).

EARLY 2013 OUTLOOK

The Padres are on the upswing, but third place likely will be their ceiling in the NL West. They went 7-11 against the Los Angeles Dodgers and 6-12 against the San Francisco Giants this past season, so there clearly is a talent gap that must be bridged.